We are kicking off this year’s Curriculum Leaders Symposium Topics with Zaretta Hammond, author of Culturally Responsive Teaching & The Brain.  See September 19 | Curriculum Leaders Agenda.

Photo of Zaretta Hammond

During her two-day visit in Lane County, Zaretta will deliver a comprehensive introduction to Culturally Responsive Teaching and the neuroscience behind it. Zaretta, a former writing teacher, is an education consultant who supports schools around the country in creating more culturally responsive instruction.

Throughout Zaretta’s equity-focused professional development and school support of over 18 years, she dispels the urban myths and misconceptions about culturally responsive teaching. She affirms that “a big myth is that CRT is about motivating students of color by mentioning cultural facts or naming famous people of color.” She also offers that “culturally responsive teaching” is less about “motivating disengaged students” and more about “rebuilding trust with them through a learning partnership, using that rapport and trust to get permission from students to push them into their zone of proximal development.”

Zaretta bases her work on brain research which confirms that “when students are in their ZPD, the brain responds by growing more neurons and dendrites – brainpower; with more brain power and cognitive routines they are able to do more rigorous work and build their background knowledge and deepen understanding.” Zaretta’s ascribes to a culturally responsive teaching approach that helps culturally and linguistically diverse students who have been marginalized in schools build their skill and capacity to do rigorous work.  She states that “the focus isn’t on motivation but on improving their brainpower and information processing skills; motivation is only a small part of it.”

Tuesday,  September 19th | Curriculum Leaders

Leading for Equity: Creating Systems That Support Culturally Responsive Pedagogy
Photo of Colt Gill Photo of Zaretta Hammond

  • With Zaretta Hammond, author of Culturally Responsive Teaching and the Brain
  • Opening Remarks by Colt Gill, Oregon’s first Education Innovation Officer

9:00 – 11:00 AM at Lane ESD 1200 Highway 99N, Eugene 97402

Intended Audience: Curriculum directors, superintendents, K-12 administrators, higher education faculty, board members, and equity leaders

Other Events with Zaretta Hammond

Tuesday, September 19th

1:00 – 3:00 PM at UO Beall Concert Hall 961 E 18th Ave, Eugene 97403

Intended Audience: Teacher licensure university students from UO (UOTeach), Pacific University, NCU, Chemeketa Community College, and Lane Community College

4:00 – 6:00 PM at Springfield High School Auditorium 875 7th St. Springfield 97477 | 541-744-4700

Intended Audience: Teachers new to the profession and/or new to the concept of Culturally Responsive Teaching, Instructional Assistants

Wednesday, September 20th

Leveraging Culturally Responsive Teaching: Helping Students Become the Leaders of Their Own Learning

8:30 – 3:30 at Lane Community College Mary Spilde Center (formerly Downtown Campus) 101 W. 10th Ave, Eugene 97401

Intended Audience: Instructional coaches, TOSAs, teacher leaders, instructional leaders, instructional teams

Teams will have a chance to work together in the afternoon for a deeper dive into CRT strategies and principles from Zaretta Hammond’s book.